CONCEPTUALISING A THEOLOGY OF THE COMMON PRIESTHOOD OF THE BAPTISED
Keywords:
Laity, Priesthood, Hierarchy, Lumen Gentium, Apostolicam ActuositatemAbstract
Lumen Gentium gives the first official teaching on the image or selfunderstanding of the Church. Even though other images are also mentioned and used variedly in the document, the Church is understood as the People of God. The divine character of the establishment called Church was further emphasised by accruing to the members the role of priests. History has shown the existence of structures, offices and hierarchies within the body called Church, one
of which is the office of priests. Lumen Gentium offers something new in this respect: it creates a platform for all the members of the Church to participate in one office, namely the office of Priesthood of Christ. The
document makes, however, a distinction between priesthood of all the baptized and ministerial or hierarchical priesthood. Even though Lumen Gentium has not worked out a theology of the common
priesthood of the baptized, analysis of the concept indicates a necessity for such an enterprise. The concept has the vertical and horizontal dimensions in itself; it stresses the basis for all Christians and also
brings out the sacramental dimension of the Church to the fore.
References
Paul VI, “Die Aufgabe,” in Yves Congar, Hans Küng und Daniel O’Hanlon, ed., Konzilsreden. Was sagten sie? Wie wird die Kirche morgen sein? Die authentischen Texte geben Auskunft, Einsiedeln, 1964, 15. Paul VI goes on to use such expressions as “Christ is our leader and Way. Christ is our hope and goal.”
Pius X, Vehementer Nos (11th February 1906), ASS 29 (1906) 3-16, 8.
Guiseppe Alberigo, A Brief History of Vatican II, trans. Matthew Sherry, [original Breve Storia del ConcilioVaticano II (1959-1962)], New York: Maryknoll, 2005, 71.
Paul Lakeland, “The Laity,” in Raymond F. Bulman and Frederick J. Parrella, ed., From Trent to Vatican II. Historical and Theological Investigations, Oxford, 2006, 196.
Pius XII, Discourse to the New Cardinals (Feb. 20, 1946), AAS 38 (1946) 149.
Vatican Council II,
Volume 1. The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, New revised edition Northport and Dublin, 1996.
Peter Neuner, Die heilige Kircheder sündigen Christen, Regensburg, 2002, 78.
B.J. Hilberath, Zwischen Vision und Wirklichkeit, 1999, 52f.
LG, 28. See also Decree on the Ministry of Priests, Presbyterorum ordinis, 6.
B.J. Hilberath, Zwischen Vision und Wirklichkeit, 1999, 59.
